Macbeth

1948

Drama / History / War

10
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 77% · 29 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 77% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.4/10 10 8374 8.4K

scotland tragic hero 11th century william shakespeare

Plot summary

Three witches predict that Macbeth will ascend to the throne of Scotland. To fulfill this prophecy, Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to murder King Duncan, who has come to spend the night at their home. This crime plunges the new ruler into a macabre spiral that will lead him to sink into guilt and madness.

Director

Orson Welles Photo
Orson Welles

Top cast

Dan O'Herlihy Photo
Dan O'Herlihy as Macduff
Edgar Barrier Photo
Edgar Barrier as Banquo
Alan Napier Photo
Alan Napier as A Holy Father
Keene Curtis Photo
Keene Curtis as Lennox
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
985.11 MB
1280*960
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 47 min
Seeds 1
1.79 GB
1440*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 47 min
Seeds 12

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by bandw 7 / 10

A dark, brooding, atmospheric Macbeth

Welles has created a unique interpretation of Macbeth with this film. It is very dark - literally so since almost the entire film takes place at night and the fog machines were cranked up pretty high for a lot of the scenes. Perhaps this darkness befits the mood of the story, but I began to feel oppressed by it. All the running about in ill-lighted cavernous hallways produced a claustrophobic effect.Welles emphasizes Macbeth's ambivalence in acting on his ambitions and his anguish in having done so. The influence of Lady Macbeth is particularly accentuated; in the scene where Macbeth is wavering about killing the King, Lady Macbeth effectively challenges his manhood over any thoughts of failure to do the job. Wells is effective in delivering the voiced-over soliloquies and in developing Macbeth as a tortured brooder. Jeanette Nolan as Lady Macbeth is less successful than Welles - her "Out damned spot" scene was way over the top. It was fun to see a twenty-year-old Roddy McDowall playing Malcomb.While there are some cinematic elements, like the escape of Fleance on horseback and the approach of Macduff and the English armies at the end, this is essentially the filming of a play. There are some interesting sets and lighting details, but there are also some cheesy sets and effects. The costumes look like they came out of some Viking movie and Macbeth's crown has all the appearance of having been fashioned for a junior high school play.The musical score (by Jacques Ibert no less) is generic and frequently overbearing.Going into this cold without having read the play or seen another production could be tough sledding.Kurosawa took a lot from this Macbeth for his 1957 interpretation in "Throne of Blood." His Birnam wood scenes are almost identical to Welles'. For a more complete and accessible Macbeth, see Polanski's 1971 film. It would be interesting to see what Welles would have come up with if he had been turned loose on this with a big budget and no time constraints.
Reviewed by guyon69 8 / 10

Dark and Deep

No one will claim that Welles' adaptation is the most accurate or best (see Roman Polansky's for a truer Macbeth) and at some points the bombast of Welles and his supporting cast, especially Lady Macbeth, can be a little overwhelming. However, for sheer mood and feel, I prefer this Macbeth over all the others out there. The darkness and dampness that close in on Welles as the movie progresses is claustrophobic and really gives a gritty appeal to this film. A great example of b&w film used to its fullest potential.
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